Ever since his sophomore effort Take Care dropped in 2011, Drake began to form ideas for his third studio album release. While touring for Take Care in the UK last year, he confirmed he was working on the album. He moved to Los Angeles in April 2012, which had a definite effect on the album’s style and tempo, according to the acclaimed Canadian rapper. He then followed up by telling GQ, “This is my f*****g moment to say if I wanted to rap all the time, really rap, I would, but I also love to make music. I’ll do this for you right now. But it’s for me, too. It’s my story… I’m trying to get back to that kid in the basement. To say what he has to say. And I’m trying to make it last.”
Nothing Was The Same has definitely accomplished that. In some ways, it is similar to Take Care, but Drake’s third studio effort certainly marches to a different beat. You don’t even have to listen to the album. You can just tell that in the promotional singles: “Started From The Bottom,” “Hold On, We’re Going Home” and “All Me.” “Started From The Bottom” is a brash and loud affirmation of his rise to fame. “Hold On, We’re Going Home” features Majid Jordan and is a sense of what’s to come: a slowed down melody that allows the listener to chill out after a long night. “All Me” features 2 Chainz and Big Sean and is a flow that gets the
However, Nothing Was The Same is definitely a new direction. Drake cited R&B legend Marvin Gaye as a continued inspiration and recorded half of the album at the studio aptly named “Marvin’s Room” in Los Angeles. As his audience might recall, “Marvin’s Room” is the original homage to Gaye and was one of the hit singles off Take Care.
The first song, “Tuscan Leather,” is the perfect introduction to the new Drake while paying tribute to the Drake of the past. From the opening verse, I know that this album would be different. “I’m livin’ like I’m out here on my last adventure/Past the present when you have to mention/This is nothin’ for the radio/But they’ll still play it though/Cause it’s that new Drizzy Drake/That’s just the way it go.”
That line just tells the listener they are in for something different. This is followed by “Furthest Thing,” “Started From The Bottom” and “Wu Tang Forever” which is a shout out to the Wu Tang Clan and their album Wu Tang Forever, released in 1997. “Own It” and “Worst Behavior” follow the tribute, while “From Time” featuring the rising Jhene Aiko is a nice companion to “Hold On, We’re Going Home.”
The ninth and tenth songs, “Connect” and “The Language,” are Drizzy’s last solo efforts on the album. It closes with three collaborative efforts: “305 To My City” featuring the underrated Detail; “Too Much” featuring Sampha, another rising star who worked on the Best Buy album exclusive “The Motion” with Drake; and “Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2” featuring JAY Z, one of rap’s kings. “Pound Cake” features the new JAY Z that accompanies the new Drizzy, while using the “Paris Morton Music” interlude to end the album on a solid note.
Nothing Was The Same accomplishes Drake’s new vision of not just making “a straight rap album,” Drake told MTV. The transition from the old brashness to a new melodic spin is a great turn for one of the newer powerhouse rappers.
Jordan Llanes can be reached at jordan.llanes@theminaretonline.com